Process for treatment of cotton seed and the like



Nov, 18, 1952 R, B, STREETS 2,618,103-

PROCESS FOR TREATMENT OF COTTON SEED AND THE LIKE HUBERT 5". STREE 7`$ A T TOR/VE VS O Nov. 18, 1952 R B STREETS 2,618,103-

PROCESS FOR TREATMENT OF' COTTON SEED AND THE LIKE A r Tom/frs Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE PnjocEs's Fon TREATMENT oF co'rToN SEED AND THE LIKE Ruliert .B.; Streets,V Tucson, Ariz., assgnor to Chemical Seed. Treating and Delinting Corporationfa corporation of Arizona appunti@ Juni, massaal Ns. 603,134

1 Claim. 1

'This invention relates. to a process of aciddel-inting seeds, such asy cotton seed, prior' to planting: (1) furthe control' of cotton diseases borne externally on the lseed; (2) to permit Aaccura-te grading of'seed toirnprove its quality'and germination; ("3)l to permit easier planting and more uniform spacing o1. seed with: elimination or reduction` of labor in chopping; (4) to secure more rapid germination and-morel uniform' stands with a saving in the amount. ot seed necessary; and ('5) tosec'ure vhigher yieldsldue to` more complete utilization. of.' the land by 'a morev uniform stand of plants'.- y

A patent illustrative of a method of' accomplishing the foregoing'objects-isNumber 2,308,883, dated January 19., 1943,v whichadisclosesa. continuousprocess ot` delintingseed wherein theseed is. treated by acid to remove 'the lint", the racid is washed fromv thel seed, good and' bad seeds are separated, and` the seeds are" dried.

The instantinvention relates. to: a. method of thisr generali description and.' 'includes more. particularly the step of pre-wetting the. cotton seed before it is subjected to` the' action. of'acid as described in the aforesaid patent', and has for 'its' object making the process moreexpeditious and considerably. cheaper.

Other objects'will rie-apparent' from thev following specification and. drawings which describe and'showanapparatusor devicey that canE be used to.. practice "the process. herein described! and claimed'.

In the. accompanying` drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagram showing how various. elements ofIthe apparatus may be associated;

Figure 2 is. a plan view'of the. apparatus;

Figure 3; is avertical sectional' view of the apparatus, Figure. 2;:

Figure/41 is asectional; view oni the line. 4-4 of Figure 3;.

Figure 5 is a verticalisecti'onal viewof a. modiiicati'on in the framework' offthe apparatus, Figures2 and 3*;i and' Figure 6'. is a plan View of: thev modi'ica-tion shown in` Figurev 5.v

Inf delinting vcotton seed: yas described in `the aforesaid patent it. is necessary to. apply.vv enough concentrated acidi (not less than 75% acid by Weight)` totthefseed (awhile it isfsti'rredito facilitate vdistribution of theacidto w'c't all ofthe lint. in order that. the: lint: be. completelyl removed? from the lsee-d; Since the: short'- lint remaining on the seed after:-A ginnin'g. is'. matted. anddifcuit to wet '('owing to entrapnedlalmtcir it has' been. necessarytofreniove the lint; onxtlieseed: (about. 200

lbs. per ton of seed) and to Wet the surface of the seed coats. Laboratory tests have shown a ratio of 4 to 5 lbs. of seed delinted by 1 lb. of acid, While commercial operations have shown ratios of. 2 to 3 lbs. of seed per pound of acid. The cost ofacid is the greatest expense in this delinting process, and its reduction is a matter of great importance to operators of acid-delinting plants. Also, at the 'present time, the availabilityof ample supplies of acid isuncertain and its eiiici'ent use is important to enable plants toy continue operation.

Previous en-'orts to save. acid' and improve delinting revealed that heating of. the. acid greatly facilitated the delinting and saved'some acid, and this process has been. generally adopted, land is disclosed inthe aforesaid' patent', but further iinprovement was much. desired.

I-n order to practice the method herein. disclosed 'it is desirable but not'. strictly necessary in each instance to make certain tests on the seeds. If a given` lot ofseed is pre-wetted by subjecting it to a Water spray inY a. continuous process such as that described in the aforesaid patent and before the seedis delivered to the delinter wherein itis treatedwi-th acid, anda suitable dye, such as cotton blue or gentian violet is ad'dedto the water that Will dye. the lint, the distribution of. the water on the lint can be observed. The distribution will not be uniform: in most cases and the Water is. largely restricted to the: surface of the matted lint due to the phenomena of surface tension andthe resistance oiv the fibres to wetting for other reasons'.

Delinting; tests on seeds: pre-wetted. with Water beforethey areV delinted' showra reductionin the amount of acid used', and such `pre-wetting is thereforeof` Value inconnection with the process of delinting seed using acid.

vIinow, Va suitable' wetting agent is added to thedyed water used; or'preswetting the seeds, a much betternpenetration and more rapid. and uniform wetting will be secured.

The termv wetting agent usedl herein is intended to. refer to a substance' which may be added to- Water toV increase. the spreading and penetrating action thereof. Such chemical agents arer commonly termed wetting agents as distinguished from plain water or other solutions and'. are. used. inaddition to thexwateror solution to: bring about a more rapidaction: orpenetration ofthe water or. otherisolution;

Delintingtests. on seeds prei-wetted with an aqueous solutions of a suitable wetting agent. be-

lfore; acid delinting. will showthreei dei-'mite ada 3 vantages as compared with seeds where this step is omitted.

(1) A saving of one half or more of acid required to delint the seed;

(2) Elimination of the necessity for heating the acid (as described for example in the aforesaid patent), as the chemical heat generated by contact of the concentrated acid and water applied to the seed raises the temperature of the seed-acid mixture to the range of rapid and enicient delinting (1Z0-145 F.) and (3) More rapid delinting, as the lint is all wetted more quickly and delinting proceeds at optimum temperatures.

The amount of wetting of the seed, while not critical and permitting of considerable variation,

must be kept within certain limits. If too little solution is applied, acid consumption is not much reduced and the speed of delinting is retarded. If too much solution is applied, the acid is diluted by the excess of water in the lint and is reduced to a concentration lower than rI5 percent by weight, and delinting is incomplete. The proper amount of pre-wetting will depend upon the pounds of lint per ton of seed, so will vary with different varieties and lots of cotton seed, but can be readily determined for each lot by pro ceeding as just described.

A number of wetting agents can be used, some of these containing compound hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules. The former draws the agent into water or is attracted to surfaces which are the more polar. The latter part of the molecule tends to leave the water and attach itself to or dissolve in an oil or other non-polar medium. These substances have the ability to lower surface tension and interfacial tension.

Among such substances and suitable for use in the process herein described and claimed, and given here merely by way of illustration, as any suitable wetting agent may be used, are:

(A) Sodium salt of an alkyl naphthalene sulphonic acid.

(B) A dioctyl ester of sodium sulpho succinate.

(C) A dioctyl ester of sodium sulfo succinate plus sodium sulfate.

(D) Sodium salt of an alkyl naphthalene sulfonic acid.

(E) A dioctyl ester of sodium sulpho succinate.

(F) Ester of a sulphonated bicarboxylic acid dispersed in water.

(G) Ester of a sulphonated bicarboxylic acid, plus an inert organic diluent.

(H) A dihexyl ester of sodium sulpho succinate.

(I) Sulphonated aromatic ether alcohol.

These and other suitable wetting agents are described in A List of Commercially Available Wetting Agents, mimeographed paper E-504 issued by the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, in June 1940. Suitable wetting agents are well known and are in extended use as wetting agents per se.

The wetting solution is preferably applied to the seed under pressure via a spray.

The solution may contain .1% of 10% of (A), (B) or (C) above or .04% of 25% 0f (A), (B) or (C) above. A dye, as before mentioned, can be added to enable the distribution of the solution to be determined as a matter of convenience when first adjusting the device, but is not necessary after satisfactory performance has been attained. The seed, after being treated as just described, is passed into a delinter.

Here, concentrated sulphuric acid combines '4 readily with the water in the wetting agent and considerable heat is generated by the combination. The amount of heat thus generated has important eifects: (1) It eliminates the necessity of heating the acid to secure rapid and efficient delinting; and (2) it increases the speed of chemical reaction by which the lint is removed from the cotton seed.

The temperature of the seed-acid mixture in the delinter unit is increased by several factors: (1) An increase in the amount of seed (and acid) passing through the delinter per unit of time (tons per hour); (2) an increase in the amount yof wetting solution applied to the seed (within practical limits); (3) an increase in air temperatures at which the plant operates; and (4) possibly with an increase in the amount of acid used per pound of seed.

The additional heat developed by an increase from one to two tons of seed treated per hour increased the temperature of the seed-acid mass sumciently to make a method heat control desirable as a safety measure to avoid the possibility of injury to the germinating power of the seed from temperatures over degrees F. This temperature is set arbitrarily as a safe operating limit, and a water-jacket is added to the delinter to provide for cooling same and its contents.

A suitable apparatus for carrying out the aforesaid process is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the numeral 10 denotes a suitable conveyor or feeder adapted to deliver seeds to the intake end II of the treating tank I2. The tank I2 may be of any suitable construction, either open at the top or closed, and revolvably positioned therein is the shaft I3 having throughout its length in the tank a plurality of paddles I4 which are adjustable and normally set at an angle of l5 to 20 degrees from a perpendicular to the axis of rotation of shaft I3.

By varying the speed of shaft I3 and the adjustment of the paddles, seeds can be caused to progress from the intake end II to the outlet I5 0f tank I2, being urged to do so by the paddles, the individual seeds being separated as much as possible the while. This fluffy loose condition of the seeds is quite different from the condition that exists in an ordinary feeder conveyor such as IIJ, wherein the'seeds may be in a solid roll or mass as they are fed along and through the conveyor. In the tank I2 the seeds should be as loose and free as possible to permit the lint on each seed to be thoroughly wetted by the wetting agent.

The shaft I3 is driven in any suitable manner such as by pulley I6 and belt I1, the latter being driven by a motor (not shown) which may be equipped with any suitable form of variable speed control enabling the operator to select any speed for shaft I3, say from 40 to 160 R.. P. M.

The driving means, such as the motor referred to, can be mounted onV the framework I8' of the device, which framework also supports tank I2, usually in a horizontal position. However, tank I2 will operate at an angle and the discharge end I5 thereof is usually from 2 to 3 inches lower than the intake II thereof.

Above the body of seeds in tank I2 is placed a plurality of nozzles I 9 having a common supply pipe 20 in which is a regulating valve 2I adapted to control the fiow of liquid from a supply tank 22 where liquid is maintained under the desired pressure by a pump 23 driven by a motor 24. A control switch and valve 25 operates in the usual manner to keep tank 22 supplied with liquid from the mixing tank 26 via pipe 21 and to maintain uniform pressure in tank 22.

The atomizing nozzles I9 are spaced along the tank I 2 to evenly spray seeds traversing the tank. They may have a capacity of from 5 to 7.5 gallons per minute per nozzle at 40 pounds per square inch gauge pressure. The number and capacity of the nozzles can be varied to provide the proper amount of liquid for any given lot of seed.

Wet seeds discharged from the outlet I5 of tank I2 fall into the inlet 28 of the delinter 29 which may be of any suitable construction to treat the seeds with acid. Preferably this delinter is of the general construction described in the U. S. patent heretofore mentioned and consists of a tank casing 30 having therein paddles 3|, a shaft 32, and driving means 33, 34 therefor, the same as the corresponding paddles, shaft and driving means just described in connection with tank I2.

The delinter has one or more inlet pipes 35 (which may be equipped with nozzles) to deliver acid to the seed traversing the delinter to delint the seed, as more fully described in the patent aforesaid. The paddles 3| are adjusted as to angle and speed to insure a thorough mixing of the wetted seed and acid as the seeds are moved through the delinter to the outlet 36 thereof.

A valve 31 in the acid inlet pipe 35 can be used to regulate the supply of acid.

'Ihe belt 34 can be driven by a motor (not shown) mounted on framework I8, or belt 34 can be driven by the motor that drives the belt I1. As many suitable arrangements whereby the framework supports the driving motor or motors and the speed changers are known, and as it is immaterial that any specific arrangement be used, these details are not shown.

The delinter is provided with a water jacket 38 having a supply pipe 39 and drain pipe 40. By circulating cooling water through this jacket and observing the thermometers 4 I, 42, located at each end of the jacket, the temperature of the seeds in the delinter can be maintained between 120 and 145 F. for efcient and safe operation.

'Ihe valves 43, 44, in the supply pipe 39 and drain 40 may be set to regulate the flow of water and consequent temperature of the water jacket and, obviously, these may be thermostatically controlled if desired. Usually 43 is left open and regulation accomplished by valve 44.

After treatment in the delinter the seeds are forced out of the outlet 36 thereof and drop into a suitable washer 45 where they are washed free of lint and acid, as more fully described in the before-mentioned patent. At the washing and subsequent drying of the seeds after they leave the delinter may be accomplished in any manner, these steps will not be described in detail.

While the feeder I0, treating tank I2 and delinter 29 are shown in Figures 2 and 3 as arranged end-to-end in line, it will be understood that by a suitable construction of frame I8 these unitsbecause of their arrangement of inlets and outlets, and because of separate paddle shafts I3, 32 may be grouped in many other relative positions. One such position is shown in Figure 1, where the feeder I0, tank I2 and delinter 29 may be positioned as shown in solid lines. However, the

feeder may be swung about the tank as shown by the arc 46, or the tank may be swung about the delinter as shown by the arc 41. Obviously, the relative positions of these three elements may be varied within wide limits without changes in their mechanical construction.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the framework adjacent the points where one of the units such as I0, I2, 29, is associated with another, each pair of uprights (one of which is shown at Ia) carries a track 48 at its upper end. The track has a slot 49 into which projects a bolt 59 secured to the under side of the topmost unit-say I2, for example. As the outlet I5 of tank I2 is positioned above the inlet 28 of the delinter 29, the tank may be swung around the center 5I of the outlets without affecting them, and the tank I2 can therefore be positioned anywhere on the line 41 of Figure 1.

The arrangement just described can be applied where the conveyor I0 empties into the tank I2 and where the latter empties into the delinter 29, and where the latter empties into the washer 45 to permit any desired grouping of the apparatus.

The vertical members I8, I8a of the frame are secured together by horizontal members or are bolted to a common platform so that the framework may be a unit if desired.

What is claimed is:

In a continuous process of delinting seed wherein the seed is subjected to the action of acid, the step of pre-wetting the seed before subjecting it to the acid which comprises treating the seed with a mixture 0f a water soluble dye and a chemical wetting agent in said water wherein the dye acts upon the lint so that the extent to which it is affected by the wetting agent can be visually determined.

RUBERT B. STREETS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED sTATs PATENTS Number Name Date 71,499 Kirkman Nov. 26, 1867 304,147 Taylor Aug. 26, 1884 695,305 Green Mar. 11, 1902 858,075 Kitsee June 25, 1907 1,696,199 Gunther Dec. 25, 1928 1,921,546 Sibley Aug. 8, 1933 1,947,320 Truffaut Feb. 13, 1934 1,960,692 Brown May 29, 1934 2,014,007 Pailler Sept. 10, 1935 2,030,859 Drapal Feb. 18, 1936 2,240,503 Kettenbach May 6, 1941 2,308,883 Kettenbach Jan. 19, 1943 2,314,091 Jones Mar. 16, 1943 OTHER REFERENCES Rogers, Manual of Industrial Chemistry, 6th Ed., vol. 2, published by D. Van Nostrand C'o. Inc., New York, New York.

Cupples, A List of Commercially Available Wetting Agents, mimeographed paper E-504 issued by U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, June 1940. 

